About Jewish Studies

Established at SFSU in 1994, the Program in Jewish Studies began with a minor in Jewish Studies. In fall 2008, the program became the Department of Jewish Studies and now offers both a B.A. in Modern Jewish Studies and a minor in Jewish Studies.

Why Study Jewish Studies at SFSU?

Engaged Faculty

Our faculty are leading researchers in multiple disciplines: they are not only engaged public scholars, committed to deepening conversations about Jews, Judaism and Jewishness in beyond the Bay Area, but they are also mentors and gifted teachers whose expertise in their disciplines translates to students seeing Jewish Studies as a degree that teaches them flexibility in their professions and careers.

Exciting Courses

By enrolling in lively and stimulating courses on Jewish history, culture, literature, religion and politics, students learn that Jewish Studies intersects with narratives about which they are most concerned: diversity, social justice, gender equity. On any day, our courses link the study of history, media studies, comparative literature, religious studies, philosophy, art, cinema, theater, modern languages, women and gender studies, cinema, English, and anthropology, to the necessary role of Jewish Studies in the university. Our faculty focus on Jewish Cultural Studies, Judaism in America, the study of Antisemitism, Israel Studies, Jewish Literature, and Holocaust Studies. In fact, we offer more courses in Holocaust Studies than any of the 22 CSU campuses. In the Bay Area, we are the only independent department of Jewish Studies and our B.A. helps students envision how to accomplish their goals.

We don't just talk about Jews and Judaism: we place Jewish experiences in relation to other ethnic and religious minorities around the world, so that students prepare for today’s increasingly interconnected global workforce.   

Active Advising

Whether a Modern Jewish Studies major or a Jewish Studies minor, students have easy access to one-on-one consultations with a faculty adviser every day. We are so committed to student success that the Department hosts “Coffee with the Chair” twice a week, informal advising as well as meeting with other majors and minors daily at “Bagels and Babka.” 

As a result, our faculty assist students with how the Jewish Studies degree prepares them for employment in political, legal and civic fields, journalism, publishing, communal organizations and many other fields. Due to its breadth, the Jewish Studies major enhances a range of graduate degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and creative arts. By joining the Department, students learn how to contribute to their own communities, as well as other societies globally.